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I finally built a boat and went for the hills across the sea. I should've accessed this area long ago. It seems like there are better resources, and definitely better terrain for creative uses. I found a few tall trees and tinkered with the idea of building a tree house, but it seems like spiders would become a problem unless I glassed it all in, and it goes against the aesthetic plans I had made.

I'm leaving for Aruba on Monday for a week-long vacation (first "real" vacation since I've been married). Nothing but snorkeling, reading, relaxing, and Minecrafting (only at night) for 6 days. Being away from PSN and XBL for this long would've been a pain a month ago, but now that Minecraft has grabbed hold of my life...

That's really impressive. How deep is it? What method did you use to build it?

Only one block of water covers the ceiling, track base is 6 blocks down. I would have gone deeper, but working underwater is a massive pain in the ass. Scuba gear FTW. I'm thinking a mixture of charcoal, redstone, and iron would be a good crafting recipe, in fact, redstone needs to be used more since right now, for me, it is entirely useless past the first compass.

I used gravel, and starting making two 'walls' with three blocks of water in between. Had them go from sea level to the bottom (which was 12 blocks deep in some places) Then I dove down to the aforementioned 6 blocks deep and formed the track bed, then attached the one block higher cobblestone to the gravel sides. Filled the new trench with gravel, excavated the gravel center (leaving the outer walls, placed the glass block, and shoveled away the outer walls.

Even using almost all the gravel I've got since day one only got me 1/3 of the way, so I had to build in stages, which presented its own challenges.

Glowstone blocks will shine underwater, but torches do not stick to glass. You'd have to incorporate another material in your underwater 'lanterns'....which is actually a really cool idea I wish I thought about for my underwater track...

Skeletons can shoot through doors from the 'inside'. That means if you want a safe room, place the door from the outside (unless you already knew that). Otherwise if you are getting bonesy in a place you though was safe, perhaps the interior space is considered large enough for enemies to spawn.

Only one block of water covers the ceiling, track base is 6 blocks down. I would have gone deeper, but working underwater is a massive pain in the ass.

Not ultimately awesome, but still great nonetheless.

Originally Posted by sek929

Scuba gear FTW. I'm thinking a mixture of charcoal, redstone, and iron would be a good crafting recipe, in fact, redstone needs to be used more since right now, for me, it is entirely useless past the first compass.

Gotta make it out of gold. Scuba would mega useful and gold is mega-not.

Originally Posted by hart

You can put doors underwater and use them as an airlock. The door's block will have air. It's not scuba gear but it can help when you're building at the bottom of the ocean.

Otherwise if you are getting bonesy in a place you though was safe, perhaps the interior space is considered large enough for enemies to spawn.

The door is placed on the outside, but he's definitely inside. Either he's following me in as I run in at sunset, or he's found a place to spawn. I thought it was a darkness issue, so I threw more lights up, but yes, the inside of my mountain is pretty big. It's a hollow shell.

I'm going to try a pressure plate for the door, although I thought I needed some kind of current to run one.

The pressure plate generate s the current when depressed. If it placed right next to the door then no redstone is needed, if you put one only on the inside it will auto close the door for you when you come in, if you put it on the outside the creepers can wander in if they time it right.

You can put doors underwater and use them as an airlock. The door's block will have air. It's not scuba gear but it can help when you're building at the bottom of the ocean.

doors, signs, ladders, pressure plates. I haven't tried but suspect switches, painting, buttons, track. Half blocks do too but they obviously would prevent you from passing a 2 tall opening. I'd test paintings and use those if they work because they come down with 1 hit, unlike door which take forever to bash down.

Signed into the server for a while, rummaged through your chests (don't worry I only snagged two torches) and started building an island retreat in the area past your elevated tramway. Nothing more than a walled-in pit with a door at this point.

There's a large island/continent to the north that has lots of interesting terrain. I logged in around 7:30 and the paintings on the 3rd floor were missing, turned out it was a glitch and not a humorous cat burglar. As you can see I have allot of torches. Did you spawn on the platform the first time?

I have to reposition the grinder on the mob trap, there's another cavern I can hear and between that and the island my castle is on the mobs stop spawning in the trap after a while. I'll try to get more pictures up. But I'm dealing with a chest cold I hope doesn't turn to pneumonia.

Remember when you said just wait for a creeper to come zooming in on a minecart? Yeah, that happened today and nearly gave me a heart attack.

This place is not for the weak of heart, apparently.

Originally Posted by sek929

Signed into the server for a while, rummaged through your chests (don't worry I only snagged two torches) and started building an island retreat in the area past your elevated tramway. Nothing more than a walled-in pit with a door at this point.

We need to build a frat house.

I suppose I should sign on this weekend and stumble round. Made some decent progress and my now not-so-aptly named Fortress and I have to figure out how to make it live up to its name better.

doors, signs, ladders, pressure plates. I haven't tried but suspect switches, painting, buttons, track. Half blocks do too but they obviously would prevent you from passing a 2 tall opening. I'd test paintings and use those if they work because they come down with 1 hit, unlike door which take forever to bash down.

I have to try some of these. The trick is to get the least expensive item in terms of resources. And the lowest number of hits to destroy and move as you point out.

They are lit up, in multiplayer for some reason the view distance is horribly compressed. So when your boating around your loading chunks faster than it thinks it will need them. It needs to be more aggressive about that. It on my local machine and it still shows holes in the world till you get close. There's a motel now near the spawn.

Do you guys think there's any chance of the final release improving performance? My MBP isn't a powerhouse exactly, but shouldn't a 2.53 i5, 4 GB RAM, and GeForce GT 330M set-up be adequate to run a game that looks 20 years old at optimal performance? I think remember someone in this thread mentioning that Java was the culprit. It just kills me that it doesn't run well, and I'm guessing the weather effects are going to make it worse.

I've been tinkering with the idea of building an editing powerhouse (that will also be a decent gaming rig), but keep on delaying to save for other things. Having Minecraft around actually ups the chances of it happening.

Do you guys think there's any chance of the final release improving performance? My MBP isn't a powerhouse exactly, but shouldn't a 2.53 i5, 4 GB RAM, and GeForce GT 330M set-up be adequate to run a game that looks 20 years old at optimal performance? I think remember someone in this thread mentioning that Java was the culprit. It just kills me that it doesn't run well, and I'm guessing the weather effects are going to make it worse.

Java hammers my Memory too.

From what I've read, it's unlikely. Both the programmers and community seem focused on features. Considering Notch recently remarked that Minecraft had brought in $33 million, it'd be nice if they hired a dedicated position to streamline this shit.

I'm really curious as to how the iPad port will fare. And if any of the tricks they use to optimize it can be ported to the desktop.

Got the spawn constructed.
Here's the business end. Unfortunately it not to forgiving with cows.
Why because above it I built this. Getting grass down there took 3 days AFK letting it spread.
Theres a separator built in. It needs refinement at the moment because it lets pigs and chickens in.
When what we're really after is:
8 so far, about every other night a few appear. So come on down to the local ASPCA and adopt one now!

Got bored with what I was doing in my single game, so I took off on a boat in search of a new climate. Found a really awesome desert area, with a nice high cliff and perched myself at the top. House is by no means finished, and I plan on eating away the sand on all sides until whatever stone/sandstone left will be it's support. Entrance is more or less at sea level and has a spiral staircase winding up a shaft in the middle of the cliff into my house.

I was on briefly last night. Decided to make my lair more epic. Added a story and trying to add a lit glass tower to the top. After that I'll create sub-basement 2. I think at some point I'd like to connect to sek's mines, and perhaps add an underwater walkway.